


Love of Mine

by FallingRainDragon (BloomingFlowerDragon)



Category: One Piece
Genre: Akuma no Mi | Devil Fruit, Fairy Tale Retellings, Gen, Origin Myths
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-18 08:13:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28740054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BloomingFlowerDragon/pseuds/FallingRainDragon
Summary: The Ocean's waters bring life, pure and bright. The Devil's fruit transforms life, unnatural and twisted.orThe tale of Pirate King Luffy, retold a thousand years later.
Relationships: Monkey D Luffy & Ocean
Comments: 2
Kudos: 17





	Love of Mine

"Grandmother, will you tell me a story?" a little girl asks. 

"Of course darling," an old woman replies as she pulls a blanket over her grandchild. "But you have to sleep right after, alright?"

"Yes grandmother," the little girl replies.

The old woman sits beside the little girl's bed. Stroking her grandchild's hair, she begins: 

Once upon a time, there was a small boy who loved the Ocean. Every day, he would splash in her waters and promise, "Love of mine, one day I will be with you." 

The Ocean would reply, "Love of mine, the world will be yours." 

But the small boy did not dream of ruling the world. He dreamed of salty winds and wooden ships. He dreamed of friendship and adventure. He dreamed of freedom. 

One day, a man arrived with the Ocean's waves. "Love of mine," the Ocean called to the small boy, "this is your brother."

The man was tall, with shocking red hair and three scars over his left eye. His wooden ship, fanged and horned, was bigger than any house the small boy had ever seen. It was beautiful. On his ship, the man carried friends and stories. He spoke of mysterious lizards and islands made of candy, mustached giants and unnatural humans. The boy was enraptured.

That evening, the small boy visited the Ocean. "Love of mine," he asked, "is it true that demons roam the world?"

A wave crashed against the sand.

"Love of mine," the Ocean hissed, "they are children of the Devil. Their power is born of Sin. Should they ever touch me, I will cleanse them from the world." 

The small boy told the Ocean, "The people say the man is a demon, for his ship is horned."

"They call him a demon," the Ocean said, "because he bears my mark on his ship and in his heart." 

"Will you cleanse him?" the small boy asked. 

"No," the Ocean replied, "for he has resisted the Devil's temptation. He is a child of mine and I love him as I love you." 

The small boy silently promised himself he would never succumb to the Devil. 

Mere days later, the small boy broke his promise. Greed seized his heart when he laid eyes on purple swirls and he _lusted_. His pure, human flesh, a gift from the Ocean, transformed into rubber as he consumed the Devil's fruit.

Corrupted, the small boy returned to the Ocean. He stared silently. "Love of mine," the Ocean called, "come to me, for I have missed you."

The small boy slowly entered the water. He felt the strength leave his bones and he sank like a ship with a shattered hull. "Love of mine!" the Ocean cried. "What have you done?"

The Ocean _pushed_ and the small boy found himself lying on wet sand, blinking away salty water. "Love of mine," he whispered, "please forgive me."

"You are no love of mine," the Ocean grieved. "You are a child of the Devil now, for you have traded the life I gave you for the power she promised."

"I did not know," he wailed. "Please forgive me!"

But the small boy had become rubber, Ocean-given flesh lost in a moment of weakness. "Do not return to me," the Ocean warned, "or I will rid you of Sin and you will die."

The small boy stood on weak legs. "I will see you again," he promised, "for you are my love."

The Ocean was silent.

The small boy staggered away, salty water dripping from his face.

The Ocean mourned.

"Did the small boy ever return?" the little girl asks. 

The old woman smiles. "Who knows?"

The little girl burrows deeper into her blanket, eyes drooping. "I think he did," she mumbles.

The old woman kisses her forehead and turns off the lamp. "Good night, love of mine," she whispers into the dark.

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by Death Cab for Cutie. Please point out any errors you find. Thank you for reading.


End file.
